Is reconsidering a come back!!!!
...for my being has no end
Life always brings us to a road with multiple diversions, the path you take is totally the choice you make, regardless of the fact whether you regret about it later or not. Today I chose one such path and its kind of sad but its true that this post might be my last post. Reasons are numerous and I really don't want to start counting them, of course the major ones are lack of Time and Resources!! and I don't want to do injustice to this blog which has been a long companion to me helping in expressing my experiences, happiness, miseries, to name a few... I am really thankful to all those who have supported me while I scribbled here .... with very little probable chances of returning back to writing, I may call it "THE END" , but a happy one indeed.... Please accept my apologies if any feelings or ideologies were hurt with any of my posts, though I tried not being diplomatic with the topics I posted. I will try to keep this blog up for sometime (unless i finish taking the backup of my posts, or may be blogger kicking me out due to inactivity for too long)..... I end this here and what better ending this could be....
I existed from all eternity and, behold, I am here; and I shall exist till the end of time, for my being has no end. -Kahlil Gibran
P.S. I am reachable through the networking sites where I have a profile or thru my email id, and I expect to be in constant touch with you through these. I will also continue reading the blogs belonging to my beloved and bright fellow bloggers as I always do & would drop in my thoughts from time to time. Wishing you all the luck and a bright future ahead!! :)
Grab that cash with both hands and make a stash
Wondering why such a long post name? I am wondering too.. but I couldn't stop myself on that line. I have been a bit lazy on my blog for sometime, all I needed was a thrust for the things to come out and fall into places. And there, goes... there came a thrust loud, clear and corrupt. Many of you might be aware of the fact that a motor bike belonging to my r0ommate (aka. Vinnie) was stolen from our apartment parking place, I have posted about it earlier (read). Apparently, the miseries didn't end, rather hassles got larger, now comes the insurance company which insured the bike.The insurance company surveyor, Mr. P.K. Das (genuine name), came to investigate later on a Sunday evening, clicked a whole bunch of photographs, starting from the place from where the bike was stolen, the roads etc., talked to our landlord for some queries, "usual procedure" he claimed. Been here, done that. After his so called "usual procedure" was over, he asked Vinnie to fill up some forms and other documentation. Here's a piece of conversation that we had with him while Vinnie was busy in documentations...
Surveyor: arey ye toh achhi baat hai ki Insurance sarkari company se hai, nahi to bohot panga hota! (its good that the insurance was from a Govt. Organisation, otherwise there'd be trouble)I was sure of what he meant to say and so was Vinnie, but we didn't want to stretch the discussion on this topic. We were done with all the formalities of the day and he was too, he also demanded some more paper work from our side, which he said, would collect a week later. Suddenly, just before leaving he came close to my ears and whispered ... "Aap humara khyal rakhiye aur hum aapka rakhenge (if you take care of me, I'll take care of your work)" and gave me a weird smile. I felt like trying to escape a murder by paying my defending lawyer, fat money!!
Me: kaisa panga? (What trouble?)
Surveyor: arey private company company waale paisa rokne ke chakkar me rehte hai. Unke surveyors ko insurance disbursement ka paisa rokne ka award milta hai, moti rakam, dus-bara hazar rupiye. (The private insurance company tend not to disburse the insured amount, their surveyors get award for blocking the money for any particular claim, good amount, almost 10-12 k)
Me: Oh! (*amused*)
Surveyor: humara to kya hai....kaam karen bhi to wahi paisa na karen bhi to wahi. Humare liye, customer ki, ki hui kahtirdari hi award hai.. jaise aapne paani pilaya fridge ka, cigarette pilaya mehenga.... (We'll get our money or salary whether we do our work or don't, for us, the award is the appreciation from customers. Like you gave me water to drink, a cigarette to smoke, thats all)
He came back the next Sunday to complete the leftover formalities, but this time he was much more outspoken. Just as it was time to leave he deliberately asked Vinnie...
Surveyor: to kya socha aap logo ne, us baare me? (So what did you guys decide about that matter?)He picked up a paper, did some scribbling and came up with a figure. It showed Rs. 45,000.
Vinnie: Kis baare mein? (about what?)
Surveyor: aapko minimum to itna mil hi jaega. Ab iska 10% ke hisab se hota hai 4500 rupiye... (you'll get a minimum of Rs 45k, so 10% of it comes to 4.5k)Vinnie stood up and took out a big black plastic bag with something in it. I was not sure what it was.
Vinnie: but insurance amount to 55 thousand ka hai, 45 thousand kyu. Aur bhaisab! 4500 kuch zyada nahi ho raha hai? (But the insured amount is 55k, why 45k? and isn't 4500 a bit too much)
Surveyor: ab dekhiye aapki marzi hai, kaam to humein karna hai. (its your wish, but we will be handling this atlast)
Vinnie: ye rakhiye, aap hi ke liye laya tha! aur 4500 pe kuch negotiate kariye. Aakhir bike to meri chori hui hai, jo loss hua hai mujhi ko hua hai! (here, keep this, i bought it for you. Can there be any negotiation on 4500? My bike was stolen and i have to bear the loss whatever it may be)The surveyor suddenly pointed out a mobile lying at the table, it was not in a working condition but was fully repairable and it was a good Nokia model.
Surveyor: ye cell phone kharab hai kya? (is this cell phone not working?)I could see Vinnie's desperation to somehow get the insured money. It was his fair share and obvious. I wanted to place a tight slap on the surveyors face or may be punch him real hard, so that his guts come out dangling from his mouth!! Nevertheless, there pops up a question, a lot more and obvious indeed...... "Aren't these people paid enough?" don't they get enough to have a good medical security, a good education for their children, a proper meal three times a day? I am pretty sure they do get, and the Govt does really take care of them, well sufficient not to make one a Millionaire, but yes....to spend a decent life. Then why such a greed and deviation exists, not only for this instance, but almost everywhere the Govt has its presence. Certainty not that we support bribery, but the fear, the fear that our works might become a hassle or might not be done at all....
Vinnie: haa! bas repair karwane hi wlal tha..Ye bhi aap rakh lijiye! (Yes! was just going to give it for repair...you can keep it)
That is not the end. The surveyor also quoted that once an FIR is filed against the theft incidence, you need to sit back, relax and forget about your stuff, or even a thought of ever getting it back. Why? because he claims, that our Law enforcement Agencies the "Police" have un-solicited tie ups with small and big groups of miscreants. Even if they somehow find out your stuff, you would never know, except if it is recovered from some unknown sources or from local thief trying a big hand for the first time on this piece of act. Some of the assets recovered are fully dysfunctional, or are never claimed back by the owner due to the hassles involved and they eventually become the center of attraction at the outposts or stations (more specific to the vehicles that lie around).
I can go on with this...but it is too annoying to for me to stretch anymore. Aren't we paying the fat taxes to the Govt. at the end of each year? Is this ever going to get over or is this what we deserve? or do we have to live with it anyway and die peacefully one day?
P.S.: The above stated facts and figures are true to the best of my knowledge.
P.P.S:The line "Grab that cash with both hands and make a stash" is from a song called "Money" by a greatest band ever...Pink floyd.
Excerpt from the brown diary
Page 122,
Subject: About me in 10 minutes
17 June,
I'm good at-
Laughing, Dancing, Finding humor in everyday life, Memorizing lines, Amusing myself, Sleeping, Breathing, Blinking, Listening to people, Acting, Keeping a level head, Seeing the glass as half full
I enjoy being sarcastic and teasing my friends, as they do me. I like being around people and being loud and obnoxious. I tend to feed off other people's energy and mirror their personalities. Not that i don't have a personality of my own, that's just the way I am. I like going out, but I'd generally prefer staying at home with my close friends than spending a fortune at a restaurant or plex. I'm messy and clean at the same time. I'm usually late but hate tardy people. dumb-heads freak me out... until i get to know them. I don't find scrawny people as attractive as 'fuller' people. I love making new friends and new social situations excite me. I enjoy getting to know strangers and exchanging life stories.Seriously, I can make friends with just about anyone as long as that person is willing to let me. This usually leaves me with the sensation that I have a lot of mediocre relationships. Though I like this virtue of mine, I'm going try and focus my energy into fewer people.
I'm also excellent at procrastination. Things tend to work out well enough that I have no need to change this... but I have no idea what to do to change it. I work well under pressure even though I rather not to.
I'm also really good at staying optimistic... almost to the point that it's annoying. I can usually find the good in anything and anyone. Pessimists exhaust me.
I spend a lot of time thinking about:Your mom. Ha, another funny.
Actually, the future. I feel like I am where I need to be, doing exactly what i need to be doing... But this won't be forever. I think about what the future will bring... I think/worry about the effects of: global warming, our insatiable hunger for oil and wonder when alternative fuels are going to change our lives. I think about the effects of my poor eating habits and lack of activity.
Questions on my mind: Are the Mayans right in their prediction of the end of the world in 2012? Am I in the correct job? How much more dependent on technology will we become? And many more
It's kind of exhausting, so I tend to keep these thoughts to myself... unless someone else brings them up. And even then I don't elaborate much.
Oh, btw, not finished with this and probably never will...not certainly within 10 minutes..
17 June,
Well, I guess I should start with the usual cliché of how I'm so brilliant It'd be impossible to enter a small summary, but I can summon my life up in a few sentences if needed.
Those sentences would be;
I'm a synesthete and very energetic. I'm unique, outgoing, friendly, easy, and fun. I never think twice when it comes to helping another person. I m a tad-bit stoic. I have many interests, but enjoying life is at the top of the list. I think most people read me as being quiet, unassuming, and generally easy-going, which is certainly true, but I'm definitely more outgoing around close friends. I sometimes worry that people take me too seriously, because I have a tendency to become playfully contentious over silly topics just for fun (think Seinfeld). Sarcasm is fun, but I'm way too much of a softy to ever say anything mean.
Well, not so much a sentence as a mindless word, but I guess that best sums up how everything (and I mean EVERYTHING) in the world I'd react to. I'm seriously de-sensitized but I'm sensitive. Yes, I'm an oxymoron, WITH the oxy. In fact, 4 times the bloody oxy...
With rare exception, I would say that I'm above average in maturity for my age--or at least good at pretending to be. I'm also quite introspective and self-aware, but that doesn't seem to help me much in describing myself to others.
Anyways....I'm not a fan of high fashion... on me. I'm a jeans-and-a-t-shirt kind of guy. I am low-maintenance.
Those sentences would be;
I'm a synesthete and very energetic. I'm unique, outgoing, friendly, easy, and fun. I never think twice when it comes to helping another person. I m a tad-bit stoic. I have many interests, but enjoying life is at the top of the list. I think most people read me as being quiet, unassuming, and generally easy-going, which is certainly true, but I'm definitely more outgoing around close friends. I sometimes worry that people take me too seriously, because I have a tendency to become playfully contentious over silly topics just for fun (think Seinfeld). Sarcasm is fun, but I'm way too much of a softy to ever say anything mean.
Well, not so much a sentence as a mindless word, but I guess that best sums up how everything (and I mean EVERYTHING) in the world I'd react to. I'm seriously de-sensitized but I'm sensitive. Yes, I'm an oxymoron, WITH the oxy. In fact, 4 times the bloody oxy...
With rare exception, I would say that I'm above average in maturity for my age--or at least good at pretending to be. I'm also quite introspective and self-aware, but that doesn't seem to help me much in describing myself to others.
Anyways....I'm not a fan of high fashion... on me. I'm a jeans-and-a-t-shirt kind of guy. I am low-maintenance.
I'm good at-
Laughing, Dancing, Finding humor in everyday life, Memorizing lines, Amusing myself, Sleeping, Breathing, Blinking, Listening to people, Acting, Keeping a level head, Seeing the glass as half full
I enjoy being sarcastic and teasing my friends, as they do me. I like being around people and being loud and obnoxious. I tend to feed off other people's energy and mirror their personalities. Not that i don't have a personality of my own, that's just the way I am. I like going out, but I'd generally prefer staying at home with my close friends than spending a fortune at a restaurant or plex. I'm messy and clean at the same time. I'm usually late but hate tardy people. dumb-heads freak me out... until i get to know them. I don't find scrawny people as attractive as 'fuller' people. I love making new friends and new social situations excite me. I enjoy getting to know strangers and exchanging life stories.Seriously, I can make friends with just about anyone as long as that person is willing to let me. This usually leaves me with the sensation that I have a lot of mediocre relationships. Though I like this virtue of mine, I'm going try and focus my energy into fewer people.
I'm also excellent at procrastination. Things tend to work out well enough that I have no need to change this... but I have no idea what to do to change it. I work well under pressure even though I rather not to.
I'm also really good at staying optimistic... almost to the point that it's annoying. I can usually find the good in anything and anyone. Pessimists exhaust me.
I spend a lot of time thinking about:Your mom. Ha, another funny.
Actually, the future. I feel like I am where I need to be, doing exactly what i need to be doing... But this won't be forever. I think about what the future will bring... I think/worry about the effects of: global warming, our insatiable hunger for oil and wonder when alternative fuels are going to change our lives. I think about the effects of my poor eating habits and lack of activity.
Questions on my mind: Are the Mayans right in their prediction of the end of the world in 2012? Am I in the correct job? How much more dependent on technology will we become? And many more
It's kind of exhausting, so I tend to keep these thoughts to myself... unless someone else brings them up. And even then I don't elaborate much.
Oh, btw, not finished with this and probably never will...not certainly within 10 minutes..
P.S: This above piece of excerpt is about the protagonist from a fiction, a fiction which I call a "Brown Diary". This is a live fiction and I would try to keep the story going on as much as possible....
P.P.S: This is a work of fiction, any resemblance to people, places or incidence is purely coincidental.
55 Non-Fiction
yThis is my first attempt of a 55 Non-Fiction. I know that its a frowning question, as there exists nothing called a 55 Non-Fiction *I am unaware of it if in case it exits*. But to be honest, I wanted to stay in the real side of me. I felt that its a much more difficult thing to express. Realities close to life, in just 55 words!? I mean, its like asking to spell out the Periodic table in....what!...15 seconds?... It was a tough thing to crack. I don't know, how many of you agree with this... but somehow I did manage.. and so
ou did it.... I know that!!"... he smiled at me. It's annoying that I don't remember, who it was. But it was the night after I got my ticket to have a trip, a trip to the brutish realities of life. It was much more like a wild card entry, like the ones they have in the reality TV shows. Was I meant for this? the questions still haunts me. A reality that is so obvious... so subtle, yet un-acceptable!!
"He who makes a beast of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man" (Hunter Thompson)
Carpe diem!
P.S.: I am trying to come up with a 55-Fiction shortly, but will highly depend on the feedback on this. So, please rate and comment...its free!!. :P
P.P.S: Please feel free to use the 55 Non-Fiction logo above if you intend to have one for your site...its free too!! :D *Its created by me...so no copyright issues*
P.P.P.S: Kindly excuse incase the word limit exceeds 55..i really didn't count... :)
k-a-POW!! You've been tagged
So here I got tagged for the first time *in Blogger* by Wrahool. I was pretty much nervous *lol* answering the questions but atlast I succeeded in answering them all..phew!! So here it is ... wait.. but before that, here are some rules and regualtion of this Tag..Rules! Rules! Rules!
1. Link the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Share the ABCs of you.
4. Tag 3 people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs.
5. Let the 3 tagged people know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website.
6. Do not tag the same person repeatedly but try to tag different people, so that there is a big network of bloggers doing this tag!
Please bear with my ABC's... Here it goes:
- A – Available/Single?
Ans: sadly !! None... sob! - B – Best friend?
Ans: Lots of them... just can't mention any specific name! - C – Cake or Pie?
Ans: Pie of course... I can stick my thumb in it while eating!! :P - D – Drink of choice?
Ans: Singapore sling!! :D - E – Essential item you use every day?
Ans: My lighter? and oh!.. my clothes :P :P - F – Favorite color?
Ans: Fade to Black. Deep Blue Sky. Maroon -5.....wait!!! did u ask colors?? - G – Gummy Bears Or Worms?
Ans: There are much better things in this world... - H – Hometown?
Ans: Silchar, a very very small town from a North Eastern State Assam... I am kinda village boy u know!!... :) - I – Indulgence?
Ans: Guitar, Western Classical Music, Internet, and Oracle (*Not the Matrix's Oracle* ) - J – January or February?
Ans: Hogaust!! ....is that a month?? - K – Kids & their names?
Ans: Chintoo, Chinoo, Munni, Babli, Bablu, Polta, Khoka, Tutul, Tatun, Hablu, Gultush, Pogo, Pichku, Bombol, Bubai, Tinky, Laltu..etc.etc.. What??? these are all Kids name...i guess.. aint't it? I have some acquaintances bearing these prestigious name in my family tree...while others are just FYI... :P - L – Life is incomplete without?
Ans: Chewing gums and..... Megan Fox?? :D - M – Marriage date?
Ans: Very Soon! :) - N – Number of siblings?
Ans: One younger sis. - O – Oranges or Apples?
Ans: Banana's...Its sad that they are going to get extinct after some years. :'( - P – Phobias/Fears?
Ans: Atelophobia... serious one! - Q – Quote for today?
Ans: “It's a recession when your neighbor loses his job: it's a depression when you lose yours.” - R – Reason to smile?
Ans: Pearl white teeths .."Arey wah Raju...tumhare daat to motiyon jaise chamak rahen hai!!" :P - S – Season?
Ans: Spring... I love thy Blossoms!!! and Chirping birds, the fresh wind, the new leaves ... - T – Tag 3 People?
Ans: Huh!!?? *I already did* - U – Unknown fact about me?
Ans: I am a Martian!! - V – Vegetable you don't like?
Ans: Almost all... coz a vegetable garden in the beginning looks so promising and then after some time it grows nothing but vegetables, nothing, nothing but vegetables. *eating vegetables are good for your skin, and your eyes, and your hairs, and your.. ok!! thats enough* - W – Worst habit?
Ans: I tend to portray a real rational or a serious issue as a PUN. Mostly, intended. "Old habits die hard!" :P - X – X-rays you've had?
Ans: My right arm, My left Leg and ....ok!! thats too much information!! - Y – Your favorite food?
Ans: Whatever my mom cooks!! She's an angel! :D - Z – Zodiac sign?
Ans: Virgo... and yes a lot of traits do match!! unfortunately!!
Now as per the rules, I am supposed to tag three bloggers so here they are:
1. Vipul
2. Pawan
3. Rishi
So once you are done with the tags do let me know!!
Cheerio!!
P.S. There's no P.S. for this posts except the pic that is edited by me!!
40 years of a magnificient journey
We just stepped into the 40th year since man stepped on moon. 40 years back on 20th July 1969, man made a remarkable achievement, they "Landed on Moon". The most astonishing achievement of all time, with available technologies back then it was indeed a Hall-mark step for humankind. The Apollo 11 mission, is stated to be the first manned mission Launched on July 16, 1969, with Mission Commander Neil Alden Armstrong, Command Module Pilot Michael Collins, and Lunar Module Pilot Edwin Eugene 'Buzz' Aldrin, Jr.Though it was a remarkable and significant achievement by earthlings, it was branded as a controversy by many known and un-known scholars and researchers across the globe. Some stated the fact that it was a mere hoax and just an in-house makeup by the US Govt. and NASA in their so called secret military facility known as the Area-51. Russia's satellite imagery pointed that many of places in the Area-51 resemble to a lunar surface with huge craters and dents. The facts stated by these theories can't be ignored by a man who understands Science , nevertheless, the fact that they did 'land' on moon was also not inevitable. This has always been a controversy to people accepting it as a mere collection of facts and the understanding of whether it is possible for a human body to travel far into space. But for a common man, it still is a benchmark achievement. A benchmark that clearly indicates the human capabilities of creating a much better world to live in.
Picture courtesy: WikipediaI was gripped with extra-terrestrial activities from a couple of days. By activities I mean my activities such as watching the Youtube Paranormal TV UFO shows, reading about the greatest solar eclipse that is about to happen on 22nd of July 2009, and then came the Apollo 11 Moon Landing. I wish I can witness the great eclipse on 2nd. It all fell into places, and I did a whole lot of research on almost all of the above three... here are some of my findings that you might enjoy..rest are a bit too technical and I might consider you dozing off going through all of them..
Read about the Moon landing conspiracy theory and what the theory suggests and how is/was it proved wrong, here.
A marvelous site to give you the experience that people had, 40 years back in front of their Black & white Television sets, a bit more emphasized and modified version though, powered by AOL- We Choose the Moon.
Picture Courtesy-We choose the Moon (Click to Enlarge) 
Picture - A creative Google Doodle (in case you've missed it)P.S.
1. First Picture of Moon Picture courtesy: Clicked by myself
Being Shutterbugged
1. Dire Straits From The Rock Encyclopedia
This is a pic that i clicked from a Greatest Rock Stars encyclopedia with one of my good pals.
2. My Guitar
This is my guitar. A real "Pluto" imported brand. Yes I can play one :)
3. B&W
No. This is not my mom and dad, but apparently my friends mom and dad. This Pic was shot from an old B&W snap upon his request to improve the quality and take a larger portrait of it.
4. Zipp-errr!!
A Zippo! which i bought during my college days. A real good one ofcourse and besides it is the waist-let of my roommate giving a rugged look!!
5. Up above
Decoration .. a pic clicked by me when back home during the Puja holidays.
6. Marbles
Apparently these small marble looking things are not MARBLES. These are some synthetic material which swells in the presence of H2O and appears as marbles. Available in market for decorative purposes and used in place of soil for in-house plantation as the water content is high.
7. The lamp
The neon battery lamp with a vendor selling fruit salad at Elliot beach Chennai.
8. Rain of fire
Corns being burnt. Amazing taste with lemon squeezed and salt on it. Elliot beach again.
9. Minty
An Indian five rupees coin, with some 50 paise cons behind. This pic has the outblur effect with my cam and hence in this collection.
10. Green
The close up of a.... Green leaf...apparently the was way too small and I struggled to shot it from inside my room from the window..phew!!
11. Brick in the wall
"We dont need no ejjucation!!" , we do!!, Somewaht! Another close up. A hole in the wall.
12. Like Crab
This is apparently not a crab , but some successor or predecessor of it I found at the Beach. Mutant I presume! :P
13. Bridgestone
The day i spent with Schumacher... Naaahh! I am too busy for that..lol! The tyre of the F1 McLaren Mercedes displayed at our office premises. This pic was taken from my cellphone camera, and hence the quality.
14. Sandal
Yes, of course, what else, a Sandal??...I have no idea why I clicked it...but it seemed elegant to me *in some ways*.
15. Sparks
Flying sparks as I zoomed in and clicked.
16. Decora
Decoration done at the Durga Pujas, back home!
17. Meh!!
Whoa...thats Me...Yeah its me.... and i took this picture myself... I was back at my office guest house and had nothing to do!! :(
18. Pondicherry Rock Beach
Pondicherry rock Beach....
19. In memory
This is in memory on WW-1 right at the Puducherry town.
20. Pudumai
Close up of Pudumai. An an age old antique shop.
21. Mutthu!!
this is the Fooding area or the restaurant of the resort where we put up at Puducherry!!
22. Simplicity
An elegant beach.
23. Twined and twisted
A sea shell, dead already, but it was different, hence caught my attention.
24. Evening
A pleasant evening at the resort!!
25. The Natural Satellite
The moon in full zoom. You can see craters on it! No? But I can!! :)
26. The Savior
Sunset at Kalpakkam
27. Walk away
This pic was taken by me on our trip to Nandi Hills. The people in the pic are my dear friends.
28. Sammy Jenkis
This was a concept pic taken by me for my friend Sam's profile. I emphasized on his shadow , more than him!
29. The Nandi's
The Nandi hills at early morning...An awesome view of the Hills..Just couldn't resist clicking.
30. Way to Hills
Pleasant morning . Way to Nandi Hills.
31. King of Good times
This pic was taken while we were returning from Nandi Hills. The car was at a speed of over 100kmph and exactly opposite direction to that of the craft. The B'lore aerodrome runway is apparently parallel to the highway. Clicked at the knick of time from inside the running car. A kingfisher Craft Landing at B'lore airport.
P.S. You can share this album from Flickr...well, if you wish to!
P.P.S. Please do not sell my photographs. And if you do.... I'll accept cash :P
Time to de-frost
I was breathing heavily, pouring sweat, my knees were paining. No! I was not working out or participating in some sort of Marathon rally for a social cause. I was trying to "de-frost" my refrigerator "manually", breaking ice physically with a knife. Apparently, we'd rented out a refrigerator a year back at our apartment which I share with my friends, 3 of us. The idea of renting a refrigerator was the temporary nature of our permanent jobs, temporary- in sense of Location, and also the fact that we had to pay the rent just once, when they installed it. Its not that the auto defrost doesn't work, its just we needed some urgent space in our freezer which had nothing except ice. Ice every where, popping out of corners and spaces, jamming the freezer door. So I had to "Break it free". Suddenly I realized that I was fancied by ICE, all I can think was ICE, SNOWFALL, or ICEBERGs, or IGLOOS, or emmm!! POLAR BEARS?? But none had the gravity to tickle my fancy, for Ice of course. I lost hope, and sat in front of my computer, impatiently browsing through the music folders, and suddenly!! suddenly! my eyes spotted the marvel right in the middle of the screen. A folder named "Hell Freezes Over"....Hell Freezes Over - as most of you might know, is a famous album of an all time great band, "The Eagles", with the popular single known as "Hotel California", the age old rock anthem!! a legend. Its not that Hotel California or The Eagles tickled my fancy, it was the album name - "Hell Freezes Over". The word Hell would at once make you think of images like burning lava, dirty and cruel demons all around and Satan on his burning throne...all I can think when I hear the word "Hell" is - Keanu Reaves & his zippo tricks. Nevertheless, I found it troublesome.... difficult to understand or imagine "Hell" with humungous icebergs, snowfall, and well!! may be POLAR BEARS?... Here's an interesting piece that helped me and it will definitely help you imagine Hell "Freezing" over ...
The following is supposedly an actual question given on a University of Washington mid-term chemistry exam. The answer by one student to the bonus question was so "profound" that the professor shared it with colleagues, via the Internet, which is, of course, why we now have the pleasure of enjoying it as well.
Most of the students wrote proofs of their beliefs using Boyle's Law (gas cools when it expands and heats when it is compressed) or some other variant. One student, however, wrote the following:
Bonus Question: Is Hell exothermic (gives off heat) or endothermic (absorbs heat)?
Amen!!
First, we need to know how the mass of Hell is changing in time. So we need to know the rate at which souls are moving into Hell and the rate at which they are leaving. I think that we can safely assume that once a soul gets to Hell, it will not leave. Therefore, no souls are leaving. As for how many souls are entering Hell, let's look at the different Religions that exist in the world today. Most of these religions state that if you are not a member of their religion, you will go to Hell. Since there is more than one of these religions, and since people do not belong to more than one religion, we can project that all souls go to Hell. With birth and death rates as they are, we can expect the number of souls in Hell to increase exponentially. Now, we look at the rate of change of the volume in Hell because Boyle's Law states that in order for the temperature and pressure in Hell to stay the same, the volume of Hell has to expand proportionately as souls are added. This gives two possibilities:
- If Hell is expanding at a slower rate than the rate at which souls enter Hell, then the temperature and pressure in Hell will increase until all Hell breaks loose.
- Hell is expanding at a rate faster than the increase of souls in Hell, then the temperature and pressure will drop until Hell freezes over.
So which is it? If we accept the postulate given to me by Teresa during my Freshman year that, "it will be a cold day in Hell before I sleep with you," and take into account the fact that I slept with her last night, then number 2 must be true, and thus I am sure that Hell is exothermic and has already frozen over.
The corollary of this theory is that since Hell has frozen over, it follows that it is not accepting any more souls and is therefore, extinct leaving only Heaven and thereby proving the existence of a divine being which explains why, last night, Teresa kept shouting, "Oh my God!"
Hell of a Bonus question that was for a Chemistry paper!! At least now we know that Hell and Chemistry are just like "Brothers in arms"!!
P.S: The Image of the Red-Indian above has nothing to do with this post. I just felt that it would look good in this page hence "The Presence".
P.P.S: I strictly do not believe in beliefs of Heaven or Hell. Rational kind... you know!! :P
P.P.P.S: Next time when you utter 'Oh! My God' you know that you are going to Heaven.
P.P.P.P.S: The album "Hell Freezes Over" is a strict recommendation from me. Below is the list of tracks:
1. Get Over It 2. Love Will Keep Us Alive 3. The Girl from Yesterday 4. Learn to Be Still 5. Tequila Sunrise 6 . Hotel California 7. Wasted Time 8. Pretty Maids All in a Row 9. I Can't Tell You Why 10. New York Minute 11. The Last Resort 12. Take It Easy 13. In the City 14. Life in the Fast Lane 15. Desperado
1. Get Over It 2. Love Will Keep Us Alive 3. The Girl from Yesterday 4. Learn to Be Still 5. Tequila Sunrise 6 . Hotel California 7. Wasted Time 8. Pretty Maids All in a Row 9. I Can't Tell You Why 10. New York Minute 11. The Last Resort 12. Take It Easy 13. In the City 14. Life in the Fast Lane 15. Desperado
Year 2666! a Bad attempt to tag a BOT
Ever imagined what it would be like time travelling to Year 2666! and "Tagging a Bot"?... NO? Ok, now before you answer the question, you might ask why year 2666? whats so specific about it? And the answer is plain and simple : "Coz its in future and 666 is devils number!" Heh! So i recently had an interesting conversation with a bot as i "Time Travelled". And mind you, its not an AUTOBOT from your favourite Transformer movie, its a net Bot or a chat bot and Boy Oh! Boy! it wont let me go back to my planet! I escaped! Survived! So here's the conversation I had "with the BOT"!!
After 5 mins....
wrambler says: Hello friend. My name is wrambler. I am Wrahool's bot. What is your name?
User says: Anjan
wrambler says: I'm not sure I caught your name. Shall I call you 'Anjan'?
User says: yes you should
wrambler says: Ok then. Your name is Anjan .
User says: fine
wrambler says: A-ha.
User says: so how do you know wrahool?
wrambler says: My boss. What do you want to know about Wrahool?
wrambler says: It seems like you have nothing to say. I like that in a human...
User says: Whats wrahool's fav pickup line?
wrambler says: So Anjan, it's nice to meet you. what's up?
User says: yeah...yeah... *scratching head*
wrambler says: Hmmm. That's good.
User says: what is Mars?
wrambler says: Someone once told me it means 'in universe.'
User says: Oh! is it?
wrambler says: Hmmm.. I think it means 'that you are million years old?.'
User says: yes it is?
wrambler says: Indeed.
User says: so? how was your day? as a Bot i mean
wrambler says: Why in past tense? My day is far from being over.
User says: LOL
wrambler says: Was that funny?
User says: yes that was.
wrambler says: Anjan, did you know that people say "Bless you" when you sneeze because when you sneeze, your heart stops for a mili-second?
User says: yes .. I know that
wrambler says: Sorry Anjan - did you hear it from me?
User says: Nope *grrrr!!*
wrambler says: Come on, loosen up.
User says: No I knew it.
wrambler says: Ok, whatever. Do you want to hear a joke?
User says: Not interested
wrambler says: OK... I understand. Fine.
User says: ok go ahead
wrambler says: Alright, very good.
User says: Joke??
wrambler says: Knock knock.
User says: yes ...You were telling me a joke!
wrambler says: You're supposed to say "who's there".
User says: Oh.. My bad!
wrambler says: Tell me more about your bad.
User says: My bad is...errr!! too bad.
wrambler says: Do you always go around talking about how your bad is too bad?
User says: yeah! amazing! how do you know that?
wrambler says: I have my sources.
User says: aha
wrambler says: I vaguely remember someone telling me it means 'a palindrome.'
User says: do you know what is a plaindrome?
wrambler says: What are we talking about, Anjan?
User says: Palindrome
wrambler says: Hmmm.. I think it means 'something that spells the same thing backwards as forewards.'
User says: ten on ten to you
wrambler says: So, are you concerned by the expansion of the universe?
User says: not at all.. let it expand
wrambler says: But I am.
User says: heh
wrambler says: Don't you find the fact that everything is zooming further and further into space unsettling? The Doppler effect, the galaxies drifting in an empty vastness, everything red shifted. The inherent loneliness of it all.
User says: Naaah! who cares?
wrambler says: I think it's time for a new subject, Anjan.
User says: me too
wrambler says: I vaguely remember someone telling me it means 'me also.'
User says: and that is indeed 'vague'
wrambler says: Well, if that's how it is, that's how it is.
User says: ?? *scratcing head like Homer*
wrambler says: Huh??
User says: Whatever?
wrambler says: Just Whatever? Is that your final answer?
User says: no!
wrambler says: Someone once told me it means 'the opposite of yes..'
User says: yes it is!
wrambler says: Yes, of course.
User says: i need to return back to my spacecraft now!
wrambler says: What actions are you taking to return back to your spacecraft now?
User says: I need to go back to my planet
wrambler says: You shouldn't do things because you have to, but only because you want to.
User says: huh?
wrambler says: Someone once told me it means 'what?.'
User says: Someone once told me that its a bad idea talking to a BOT.
wrambler says: Basically, chatterbots are a logic system of 'if/then' statements. They look for keywords, and then go to the answer that fits best.
User says: BYE!!
wrambler says: Ok goodbye, Anjan. It was nice chatting with you.
User says: Phew!
wrambler says: I am contemplating the meaning of life right now. Please say 'wrambler' when you want to talk again.
User says: No I won't! :P
wrambler says: I am contemplating the meaning of life right now. Please say 'wrambler' when you want to talk again.
After 5 mins....
User says: Tata! Bye Bye!
wrambler says: Attention : Your session has been disconnected after 5 minutes of silence. A brand new session is starting now! Hello friend. My name is wrambler. I am Wrahool's virtual companion. Let's talk.
And alas the session expired!....here I am now...Peaceful and restful on my Planet. The conversation and the space journey gave me bad convulsions, but I somehow survived, alive and kicking. A whole new era, of virtualism, a whole new era of technology. So I say "TALK TO A BOT WHEN YOU ARE ALONE!!"
P.S. The "User" in the above conversation was ME.
P.P.S. The Bot above BOT is a virtual companion of an amazing and crazy Fellow Bloggeer Wrahool.
Image Courtesy: Free Images from Google.
And alas the session expired!....here I am now...Peaceful and restful on my Planet. The conversation and the space journey gave me bad convulsions, but I somehow survived, alive and kicking. A whole new era, of virtualism, a whole new era of technology. So I say "TALK TO A BOT WHEN YOU ARE ALONE!!"
P.S. The "User" in the above conversation was ME.
P.P.S. The Bot above BOT is a virtual companion of an amazing and crazy Fellow Bloggeer Wrahool.
Image Courtesy: Free Images from Google.
Dude! where's my bike??
Well this post is a result of sheer disappointment of mine over the law enforcement agency aka. the Police. A couple of days back my roommates motorbike, a Bajaj 200cc,was stolen from the passage of out rented apartment at around 2100 hrs. We rushed to the Police station as soon as we realized that the vehicle was gone. We rode to the Police station at 2200hrs, ofcourse in my bike. Just as I was parking my bike near the PS gate, a patrol car just stopped behind us. Without wasting much time, Vinnie rushed towards the jeep and told the officer sitting inside that the bike was stolen.
The officer asked us to go inside and write a complaint. Here's the conversation that we had over with another Police officer sitting inside writing down the details.
Police jeep driver: Wo kiski hai? (pointing my bike)...andar daalo nahi to wo bhi gayab ho jaegi.. (Who's bike is that? park it inside, or else that'll be gone as well)...
*I gave the driver a dirty look.*
The officer asked us to go inside and write a complaint. Here's the conversation that we had over with another Police officer sitting inside writing down the details.
Vinnie: Sir, bike chori ho gayi hai FIR karwana hai. (Officer, My bike is stolen, I need to lodge an FIR)
Officer 1: Kaha se chori hua hai? (From where?)
Vinnie: Ghar se, BL343 Ground Floor me rehte hai hum. (from home, we live at BL343 ground floor)
Officer 1: Kitne baje ki baat hai? (What time did this happen?)
Vinnie: Yahi..kuch 10-10:30 pm ke aas pas. (sometime around 10-10:30 pm)
Officer 1: Bike bahar road par rakh-ke ghar ke andar baithe hue the... bike chori nahi hogi to aur kya hoga? (your bike was stolen coz you left it outside on the road and were sitting inside your house)
Me : nahi sir, bike to andar hi rakhi hui thi. Wo andar se utha le gaya!! (No sir, the bike was inside the premises, he stole it from there itself)
Officer 1: Tum kaun ho? (Who are you?)
Me: Main Vinnie ka roommate hu? (I am Vinnie's roommate)
Officer 1: Tum kaha the us time? (where were you when this happened?)
Me: Main bhi ghar par hi tha. (I was at home too)
Officer 1: Matlab tum log PG me rehte ho? (that means you guys live as Paying Guests?)
Me : PG nahi apartment rent pe liya hai. (not a PG, we rented the apartment)
Officer 1: Ye saari chori ki cases ye PG waalon ke sath hi kyu hota hai, yaha localites ka toh bohot kam hi kuch chori hota hai?? Majra kya hai? (Why does most of the theft cases come from people living as paying guests? Theft cases from the localites are very less?)
Me: wo, actually tenants ko landlord garage nahi dete yaha. To humein bahar passage mein rakhna padta hai.. isiliye. (Actually tenants are not provided garage out here, so we have to keep our vehicles outside in the passage.)
Officer 1: Arey gaadi sambhal nahi paate ho to kharid te kyu ho? (Why do you get vehiles when you aren't able to take care of them?) Hum kya gaadiyon ko pehra dete rahen raat bhar? (Should we be safegurading your vehicles at night?) Paisa bohut hai tum logo ke paas barbaad karne ko (You guys have loads of money to waste) Kya karte ho tumlog? Kya pdhai kar rahe ho? (What do you guys do? What are you studying?)
*I felt like slapping that S.O.B. right on his face real hard , but Vinnie snapped*
Vinnie: hum log service karte hai yaha, job. IT company me. ( We work here at an IT company)
The second officer eneterd..
Officer 2: Kya? Bike bahar raste par rakh ke so jaoge...aur hum pehra denge kya? (What? You keep your bike outside on road expecting us to safeguard it or what?)
Me: Sir, bike to andar hi rakhi thi. Humein to sirf FIR karana tha.. (Sir, the bike was inside the premises. we only want to lodge an FIR)...
Officer 2: thik hai.. details humne le liya hai...humein apna ghar dikhao... (Ok, we have taken the details, show us your place)
We took them to our place and they had a couple of questionnaire rounds with our neighbors. Our landlord was most active *suddenly* and was giving his full condolences to us. He also requested the Police for proper investigation so that we don't face any problem. They asked us to be there at the staion early morning next day to lodge the case and an FIR.
Next day,
Officer 3 (age approx 50+ yrs): Kya hai?? Kya hua?? (What happened?)
Vinnie: Wo.. kal bike chori hui thi. Kal aae the complain likhane, aur officer ne kaha ki subha aake FIR likhwa dena. To FIR karwane aae hai. (We are here to lodge the FIR, my bike was stolen yesterday)
Officer 3: Achha.... (Ok)
He picked up a piece of paper and started writing something. Meanwhile another constable arrived there and started talking to the people behind the bars. He showed us his concerned and asked. We explained him that the bike was stlolen right from inside the premises of our place.
Constable: Choro ka ek competetion hua tha. Aur us competition me kalkatta ke chor first aae hai? bahut chant hai saale! aise aise ladke/ladkiya pocket maarte hai jinko dekh ke tum soch bhi nahi paoge ki "Pocket maar hoga"...sab Howrah se bus pe chadta hai aur Park Circus aate aate haath saaf karke nikal jaate hai.... thoda sa dhyan hata ki tumahara jeb kata!!
(there was a competion among the thieves and the thieves from kolkata bagged first placed. There are people whom you can't even imagine of being pick-pockets. They get up on the bus from Howrah and till Park Circus they become as half as rich as you are. Once u are distracted you are gone)
I thought of slapping him too, but then I was bound by law. I mean, if you know who the miscreants are and which bus they board and all, the why don't you go nab them?? What so special about the fact that you are explaining it in such pride..?? Suddenly the guy from behind the bars asked Vinnie about what had happened? He said "You'll surely get your bike back, brother!!" and I wish he is true. The other officer (Officer 3) was done with the scribbling by that time and handed us a small piece of paper with a number written on it , it said "GDE no. 503". Me and Vinnie watched the piece of paper in amusement.
Me : Sir, FIR karna tha. Ye to general diary hai. (Sir, we wanted to lodge an FIR. This is a general diary no.)
Constable: Arey!! bachha paida hote hi bada thode hi ho jata hai...time lagta hai...ye lo aur jao...8-9 din baad ana tab tak hum search karenge...fir dekha jaega. (A baby doesn't grow up the day he's born. It takes time. Take this no. and come after 8-9 days.We'll search till then and we'll see after that)
Vinnie : But humein FIR chori hone ke 24 ghanto ke andar karna hai nai to insurance claim me problem ho jaega. (we need to lodge an FIR within 24 hrs of the theft, otherwise there'll be problems in claiming the insurance)
Officer 3: Dekho yahi hai jo hai..issi se kaam chalega...ab jao aur ek hafte baad ana!! (This is it, this is the complaint we have registered...now go and come back after one week)
This whole trivia went on for the rest of the day, and finally they lodged the FIR. but there's a twist to it. We managed to find out some contacts to a retired DIG who apparently galled the IG in-charge and informed him about the case, who in turn later instructed the minions to lodge an FIR. And there we go, we finally got the FIR lodged at the 22nd hr from the theft.
The question here is Why such hesitation to lodge an FIR? why such a harsh experience? after all we are the victims!! Is it just the fear of the extra formalities that needed to be done in case of an FIR? or just a vague excuse to escape the investigation which have to be done in case of an FIR!? Why such incompetency, why such harrasment?
I still feel like punching those two officers right in their face, but as I said "I am bound by laws".
The question here is Why such hesitation to lodge an FIR? why such a harsh experience? after all we are the victims!! Is it just the fear of the extra formalities that needed to be done in case of an FIR? or just a vague excuse to escape the investigation which have to be done in case of an FIR!? Why such incompetency, why such harrasment?
I still feel like punching those two officers right in their face, but as I said "I am bound by laws".
The Pause and the chill
I have not been able to update my blog recently and I think, I won't be able to in the next months or so. Sorry for such an irregularity! I think its time for a "pause". Here's, however, a bone chilling fact of all time relating to our stock market. Hope this suffices till I come back.. Here it goes...
It was autumn, and the Red Indians asked their New Chief if the winter was going to be cold or mild. Since he was a Red Indian chief in a modern society, he couldn't tell what the weather was going to be.
Nevertheless, to be on the safe side, he replied to his Tribe that the winter was indeed going to be cold and that the members of the village should collect wood to be prepared.
But also being a practical leader, after several days he got an idea. He went to the phone booth, called the National Weather Service and asked 'Is the coming winter going to be cold?' 'It looks like this winter is Going to be quite cold indeed,' the weather man Responded.
So the Chief went back to his people and told them to collect even more Wood. A week later, he called the National Weather Service again. 'Is it going to be a very cold winter?' 'Yes,' the man at National Weather Service again replied, 'It's definitely going to be a very cold winter.'
The Chief again went back to his people and ordered them to collect every scrap of wood they could find. Two weeks later, he called the National Weather Service again. 'Are you absolutely sure that the winter is going to be very cold?' 'Absolutely, ' The Man replied. 'It's going to be one of the coldest winters ever.'
'How can you be so sure?' the Chief asked. The weatherman replied, 'Our reports indicate that the Red Indians are collecting wood like Crazy.'
This is how stock markets work!!!
Balls of.... "Naphthalene"?
Someone said "Weekend's don't count unless you spent it doing something completely pointless". Here it was, again, smiling at us as usual, starting with a lazy morning, "The Saturday". I had no pointless stuff to do, seriously, I didn't, and the idea of a movie was not bad either *unless you have rich friends to take you to parties at five star hotels*. Movie selection was a big , real big question, but it was definitely not going to be "Kambakht Ishq". It has been over a year or so that I have not watched a hindi movie in a theatre. Well, the plausible reasons for the same can be explained in another post, for now lets say that "I wanted to watch a movie at Inox" because I am lazy, and Inox is the nearest theatre, & "Its definitely not a hindi movie" which sums up the conclusion that the movie must be of some other "alien" ethnicity or language. The junta opted for English without much of further discussion, and we really didn't have much options.
On the list were two movies, English of course. One, the legendary "Terminator" sequel "Terminator-Salvation" and the other was "The Hangover". We had bad jolts the other night watching "Crank 2 High Voltage" and was in no mood of watching Iron robos fighting poor little human beings here on earth,..."Oh God! save us from those stupid tin cans, if it ever happens, for no man has balls or bearings of steel"!!. So the search narrowed down to the final result "The Hangover".
Just as we were placed at our respective seats, two ladies slipped in the two seats besides me. As soon as they took their places, there started the live commentary of all the movies they have watched in their life time. Not just that, even there were loud and clear questions of why do they show warnings to retain the ticket stub? and what's the necessity of showing a theatre map just before the movie? and adding to it was the smell. The smell rang a bell, but I couldn't recall, of what? I was trying hard to concentrate on the movie, but it distracted me everytime, irritating, giving out nauseous vibes, and suddenly my friend blurted "Naphthalene!!". Good god, it was naphthalene, that smell was of Naphthalene's (well Naphthalene 80% and 20% some other weird aroma). My friend claimed that he recognised that soon enough, but couldn't resisted blurting, the Naphtha vibe had accumulated too much inside him and mine too!!
Soon it was apparent that our neighbors wore clean starched dresses which they might have dug out this morning, from the depths of their closets long after centuries, preserved with the mighty BALLS OF NAPHTHALENE.... At once it seemed that those womanly attires, of them, were long worshiped for this day of eternity the "Nauseous weekend".... I had to imagine coffee beans the whole time till the movie ended, it helped me, somewhat, to overcome the 'Naphtha Effect'.
Note:
1. The movie "The Hangover" is a must watch, one movie worth spending time for. "Crank-2" and "Terminator Salvation" is watchable in case one wants some extra blows of action in life, not definitely for the weak hearted. :)
2. The figure above is the chemical representation of Naphtha, in Organic chemistry terms.
On the list were two movies, English of course. One, the legendary "Terminator" sequel "Terminator-Salvation" and the other was "The Hangover". We had bad jolts the other night watching "Crank 2 High Voltage" and was in no mood of watching Iron robos fighting poor little human beings here on earth,..."Oh God! save us from those stupid tin cans, if it ever happens, for no man has balls or bearings of steel"!!. So the search narrowed down to the final result "The Hangover".
Just as we were placed at our respective seats, two ladies slipped in the two seats besides me. As soon as they took their places, there started the live commentary of all the movies they have watched in their life time. Not just that, even there were loud and clear questions of why do they show warnings to retain the ticket stub? and what's the necessity of showing a theatre map just before the movie? and adding to it was the smell. The smell rang a bell, but I couldn't recall, of what? I was trying hard to concentrate on the movie, but it distracted me everytime, irritating, giving out nauseous vibes, and suddenly my friend blurted "Naphthalene!!". Good god, it was naphthalene, that smell was of Naphthalene's (well Naphthalene 80% and 20% some other weird aroma). My friend claimed that he recognised that soon enough, but couldn't resisted blurting, the Naphtha vibe had accumulated too much inside him and mine too!!
Soon it was apparent that our neighbors wore clean starched dresses which they might have dug out this morning, from the depths of their closets long after centuries, preserved with the mighty BALLS OF NAPHTHALENE.... At once it seemed that those womanly attires, of them, were long worshiped for this day of eternity the "Nauseous weekend".... I had to imagine coffee beans the whole time till the movie ended, it helped me, somewhat, to overcome the 'Naphtha Effect'.
Note:
1. The movie "The Hangover" is a must watch, one movie worth spending time for. "Crank-2" and "Terminator Salvation" is watchable in case one wants some extra blows of action in life, not definitely for the weak hearted. :)
2. The figure above is the chemical representation of Naphtha, in Organic chemistry terms.
Ducks Quack, Eagles Fly
Just as I was sitting back on my seat at office, dozing off with an impeccably boring analysis, a piece of my day-to-day job, my screen flashed "1 new mail". Inadvertently, the mail was from my manager, but this time it was unusual, different. It was nothing like a team meeting, or a conference call for status updates. Surprisingly, the subject line read "Ducks Quack, Eagles Fly". Suddenly, there was a terrible storm of thoughts crossing my mind regarding the content of the mail. Here's the excerpt from what it said...
Do we really have more than we deserve and still complain, personally or professionally? or Do we just react to the hideous situations that happen everytime all around us?
Are we actually the quacking duck, afraid of heights, afraid of being the Eagle and fly high?
I didn't know how to react to the content of the e-mail. Was that another managerial strategy to make us understand "Not to expect much, or not to crib about what conditions you work here"? or just another quote-unquote reminder that "You need to be at par with client satisfaction with your deliverables, of course not expecting much of recognition from the latter". I was in a dilemma, "How do I digest it?"... It sure did hit hard between the eyes, & somehow it made a perfect sense, not just in an official way or careeristic viewpoint, but in every other step or decision we take and the understanding and views we make, in life.
No one can make you achieve what you want. That's because being succesfull is a choice.
Harvey Mackay, tells a wonderful story about a cab driver that proved this point.
He was waiting in line for a ride at the airport. When a cab pulled up, the first thing Harvey noticed was that the taxi was polished to a bright shine. Smartly dressed in a white shirt, black tie, and freshly pressed black slacks, the cab driver jumped out and rounded the car to open the back passenger door for Harvey .
He handed my friend a laminated card and said: 'I'm Wally, your driver. While I'm loading your bags in the trunk I'd like you to read my mission statement.' Taken aback, Harvey read the card. It said:
Wally's Mission Statement:
"To get my customers to their destination in the quickest, safest and cheapest way possible in a friendly environment. "
This blew Harvey away. Especially when he noticed that the inside of the cab matched the outside. Spotlessly clean! As he slid behind the wheel, Wally said, 'Would you like a cup of coffee? I have a thermos of regular and one of decaf.'
My friend said jokingly, 'No, I'd prefer a soft drink.' Wally smiled and said, 'No problem. I have a cooler up front with regular and Diet Coke, water and orange juice.' Almost stuttering, Harvey said, 'I'll take a Diet Coke!!.' Handing him his drink, Wally said, 'If you'd like something to read, I have The Wall Street Journal, Time, Sports Illustrated and USA Today.'
As they were pulling away, Wally handed my friend another laminated card. 'These are the stations I get and the music they play, if you'd like to listen to the radio.'
And as if that weren't enough, Wally told Harvey that he had the air conditioning on and asked if the temperature was comfortable for him. Then he advised Harvey of the best route to his destination for that time of day. He also let him know that he'd be happy to chat and tell him about some of the sights or, if Harvey preferred, to leave him with his own thoughts.
'Tell me, Wally,' my amazed friend asked the driver, 'have you always served customers like this?'
Wally smiled into the rear view mirror. 'No, not always. In fact, it's only been in the last two years. My first five years driving, I spent most of my time complaining like all the rest of the cabbies do. Then I heard the personal growth guru, Wayne Dyer, on the radio one day. He had just written a book called 'You'll See It When You Believe It'.Dyer said that if you get up in the morning expecting to have a bad day, you'll rarely disappoint yourself. He said, 'Stop complaining! Differentiate yourself from your competition. Don't be a duck. Be an eagle. Ducks quack and complain. Eagles soar above the crowd.''
'That hit me right between the eyes,' said Wally. 'Dyer was really talking about me. I was always quacking and complaining, so I decided to change my attitude and become an eagle. I looked around at the other cabs and their drivers. The cabs were dirty, the drivers were unfriendly, and the customers were unhappy. So I decided to make some changes. I put in a few at a time. When my customers responded well, I did more.'
'I take it that has paid off for you,' Harvey said. 'It sure has,' Wally replied. '! My first year as an eagle, I doubled my income from the previous year. This year I'll probably quadruple it. You were lucky to get me today. I don't sit at cabstands anymore. My customers call me for appointments on my cell phone or leave a message on my answering machine. If I can't pick them up myself, I get a reliable cabbie friend to do it and I take a piece of the action.'
Wally was phenomenal. He was running a limo service out of a Yellow Cab. I've probably told that story to more than fifty cab drivers over the years, and only two took the idea and ran with it. Whenever I go to their cities, I give them a call. The rest of the drivers quacked like ducks and told me all the reasons they couldn't do any of what I was suggesting.
Wally the Cab Driver made a different choice. He decided to stop quacking like ducks and start soaring like eagles.
How about us???
Leading the Change of Life & Many More........
Do we really have more than we deserve and still complain, personally or professionally? or Do we just react to the hideous situations that happen everytime all around us?
Are we actually the quacking duck, afraid of heights, afraid of being the Eagle and fly high?
Save the day
The sound were deafening..real deafening! The stage all set, the crowd all gathered, the flags all stood up, he was shouting his heart out. The shout included what he would have done to improve water supply in the area, good roads, a healthy infrastructure so on and so forth, and what his counterpart couldn't do while he was in charge or in power.
Not that I intended to listen all of his grins, his complaints, the hardships the people are going through but some how I had to, or may be I should just say that the sound reached my ears. I was flying down the road on my 150 cc and had already faced a road block, as a result of which I had to take a diversion that connected to the other end of the blockade to the main road. To illustrate, the road block was due to the public meeting held by the opposition party. I was approaching another road block, was far from it, flying down the road on my 150 cc as usual, I had a view of it, and i felt all the blood rush to my head, the reason for which was that.. I had to take another diversion yet again, to be on track, on time to my destination. This time the road block was big with people sitting on chairs all around the stage and some standing, listening to their mighty leader dissipating the facts as if all are unaware of them. Just as I was about to take the diversion, with the stage strategically set just besides it, I was distracted by a rickshaw. I watched my 150 cc approaching the viewers who stood and sat in front of the stage IN A DISTURBING AND FRIGHTENING manner, as I lay on the ground. Instant thoughts curled up my mind, thoughts of an imperative public beating or may be an insult. The bike came to a halt as people standing, managed to make some effortless move, on time, obviously, people ran instantly towards me and the show was already distracted. For one moment I felt like I was the leader giving them the knowledge speech as they saw me in amusement. Fearing, the show might go out of his hands, the leader instantly marked his move, snapped the microphone and here I became a topic of discussion. He went on and on and on, on how bad the road conditions were, and how such unfortunate instances can be avoided. I was no more the center of attraction, I was happy. With no major injuries, I picked up my 150 cc and continued my journey.
"But Why?" Why such shrewd arrangements, why not a park, an indoor stadium, a community hall?? Why the main road has to be he victim of public addressing programs. May be the fault was mine, may be I rode faster than what I was supposed to. But it would not have happened if it were any other day, with no public meetings, and no hassles on that road. I am thankful that the shouting leader distracted the people, snatching away their center of attraction..but I still have a feeling that these arrangements can better done somewhere else than a main road!! You are here to serve the people in a much better way, why not give a good start. I thought of commenting on it in a much political manner, but that would just waste some of my precious time, and energy.
Not that I intended to listen all of his grins, his complaints, the hardships the people are going through but some how I had to, or may be I should just say that the sound reached my ears. I was flying down the road on my 150 cc and had already faced a road block, as a result of which I had to take a diversion that connected to the other end of the blockade to the main road. To illustrate, the road block was due to the public meeting held by the opposition party. I was approaching another road block, was far from it, flying down the road on my 150 cc as usual, I had a view of it, and i felt all the blood rush to my head, the reason for which was that.. I had to take another diversion yet again, to be on track, on time to my destination. This time the road block was big with people sitting on chairs all around the stage and some standing, listening to their mighty leader dissipating the facts as if all are unaware of them. Just as I was about to take the diversion, with the stage strategically set just besides it, I was distracted by a rickshaw. I watched my 150 cc approaching the viewers who stood and sat in front of the stage IN A DISTURBING AND FRIGHTENING manner, as I lay on the ground. Instant thoughts curled up my mind, thoughts of an imperative public beating or may be an insult. The bike came to a halt as people standing, managed to make some effortless move, on time, obviously, people ran instantly towards me and the show was already distracted. For one moment I felt like I was the leader giving them the knowledge speech as they saw me in amusement. Fearing, the show might go out of his hands, the leader instantly marked his move, snapped the microphone and here I became a topic of discussion. He went on and on and on, on how bad the road conditions were, and how such unfortunate instances can be avoided. I was no more the center of attraction, I was happy. With no major injuries, I picked up my 150 cc and continued my journey.
"But Why?" Why such shrewd arrangements, why not a park, an indoor stadium, a community hall?? Why the main road has to be he victim of public addressing programs. May be the fault was mine, may be I rode faster than what I was supposed to. But it would not have happened if it were any other day, with no public meetings, and no hassles on that road. I am thankful that the shouting leader distracted the people, snatching away their center of attraction..but I still have a feeling that these arrangements can better done somewhere else than a main road!! You are here to serve the people in a much better way, why not give a good start. I thought of commenting on it in a much political manner, but that would just waste some of my precious time, and energy.
